Chuks Okocha in Abuja
The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has said a recent protest letter by Justices of the Supreme Court to the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Tanko Mohammed, has further confirmed the furtive plots by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to emasculate the judiciary in a bid to foist a fascist system and subvert the will of Nigerians in the 2023 general election.
The PDP said the failure of the CJN to address the weighty issues contained in the said letter revealed that there was a systemic design by the APC-government to ensure that the judiciary was stifled and handicapped to deliver on its constitutional duty as an independent arm of government.
According to a statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Debo Ologunagba, the PDP stated that, “Our Party holds as outrageous that instead of personally addressing the issues raised, the CJN rather allowed his media aide to respond to the revered Justices of the Supreme Court via a press statement in a manner that shows impunity and utter disregard to the Justices and the Institution of the Judiciary.
‘The evidence of this systemic emasculation of the Judiciary is manifest in the unrelenting intimidation and harassment of judges; the vicious midnight attacks, orchestrated and unlawful removal of judicial officers and disabling of the independence of the judiciary by the APC administration,” the opposition party stated.
According to the PDP, the plots by the APC to cripple the operations of the Supreme Court as uncovered in the conditions described by the Supreme Court Justices confirmed a malicious design by APC leaders to subvert the judicial system so as to cover their atrocities against Nigerians.
The PDP said it was clear that the APC was “desperate to silence judges in Nigeria through the stagnation of the judicial infrastructure and operation, staging the invasion of courts to disrupt proceedings in various parts of the country, denying judges of the rights to a conducive atmosphere to dispense justice and perform their constitutionally assigned roles for which a conducive atmosphere is indispensable.”
The party’s statement further stated that the development explained why the APC undertook the 2016 midnight raid and arrest of judges, including Justices of the Supreme Court – an action akin to a declaration of war against the judiciary resulting in the sudden death of some of the judges from emotional trauma and embarrassment.
The PDP, therefore, reminded Nigerians about the harassment, intimidation, suspension, illegal and unjust removal from office of the former CJN, Justice Walter Onnoghen, by the APC, being afraid of his independent mindedness ahead of the 2019 presidential election.
It said Nigerians could also recall the role reportedly played by the APC administration in staging last year’s invasion of the now retired Justice Mary Odili’s home, apparently to instill fear in the judiciary ahead of the 2023 general election.
It said it was instructive to recall that the Magistrate, who issued the warrant for that dastardly act reportedly averred that he was misled by the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation.
Consequently, the party said the letter by the Supreme Court Justices was a wake-up call to all Nigerians, particularly, the Bar and the Bench, the Civil Society, organised labour, the media and the International Community to rise to the occasion and rescue the judiciary from the stranglehold of the APC.
